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Cary High

Q: Is Cary High a good school?

Cary High ranks 279 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

279^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 58% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Cary High is a large comprehensive public high school in Cary, North Carolina, serving 2,044 students in grades 9–12 as part of Wake County Schools. The school currently holds a 3-star rating and ranks 279th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (58th percentile) for 2025–2026, placing it solidly in the middle-to-upper range statewide—though below several nearby traditional high schools like Green Hope High and Apex High, while ranking above Athens Drive High.

Cary High shows an unusually large gap between its Math I and Math III proficiency results. While 81% of Math III students meet proficiency standards—well above state and district averages—only 33.5% of Math I students do, which is below both the Wake County Schools average (36.6%) and the state average (42.1%). The school is strong in advanced math but struggles in the earlier algebra pathway. In nearby comparisons, Cary's Math I proficiency is higher than Athens Drive (21.8%) and Needham Broughton High (26.3%) but far below Green Hope (60.0%). Recent test-score trends are positive overall, with English II proficiency improving from 61.4% to 71.0% over three years.

Cary's graduation rate of 88.8% matches the state average but trails the Wake County Schools average of 91.3%. Chronic absenteeism stands at 21.7%, near the district average of 20.5% and better than Athens Drive's 31.4%, though worse than Green Hope's 14.8%. The school serves a more economically diverse population than Green Hope or Apex, with 38.6% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Subgroup results show notable strengths—especially for students with disabilities, who rank at the 82nd percentile statewide—alongside areas needing attention, including lower proficiency among Hispanic students, English learners, and low-income students. Overall, Cary High is a solid mid-tier school showing recent improvement, with its biggest opportunities centered on raising Math I proficiency, sustaining graduation rates around 90%, and closing subgroup achievement gaps.

2,044

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,602

Per pupil spending ?

38.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

638 Walnut St
Cary, NC 27511-4224

(919) 460-3549

District: Wake County Schools

Feeder schools for Cary High:

Elementary:	Briarcliff Elementary
	Cary Elementary
	Northwoods Elementary
Middle:	Reedy Creek Middle
	West Cary Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.0%

Hispanic:

29.2%

African American:

17.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Cary High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg60%

279^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 20High Schools in the Wake County Schools

60^th of 246Wake County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	279 of 662	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.1	218 of 641	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	296 of 640	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	260 of 626	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.4	222 of 621	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	245 of 594	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.9	180 of 514	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.5	109 of 469	76.8%	★★★★☆
2017	68.9	86 of 476	81.9%	★★★★☆
2016	67.4	81 of 507	84.0%	★★★★☆
2015	66.3	92 of 531	82.7%	★★★★☆
2014	75.7	45 of 451	90.0%	★★★★★
2013	67.1	58 of 505	88.5%	★★★★☆
2012	63.9	110 of 502	78.1%	★★★★☆
2011	74.9	55 of 506	89.1%	★★★★☆
2010	72.5	59 of 499	88.2%	★★★★☆
2009	78.3	29 of 490	94.1%	★★★★★
2008	74.9	44 of 477	90.8%	★★★★★
2007	77.2	34 of 453	92.5%	★★★★★
2006	79.0	23 of 431	94.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	193 of 450	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.9	172 of 440	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.7	198 of 437	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	165 of 434	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	119 of 430	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	40.0	160 of 364	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.6	125 of 369	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.0	91 of 359	74.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	50 of 103	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.0	43 of 106	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	57 of 101	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.1	55 of 98	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.2	44 of 91	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.4	58 of 83	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.0	53 of 89	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	72.1	31 of 77	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	64.2	63 of 330	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	57.1	90 of 334	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	58.8	99 of 364	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	90.9	18 of 349	94.8%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	223 of 289	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.6	137 of 273	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.7	172 of 262	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	120 of 226	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.7	66 of 156	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.5	35 of 124	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	32.6	126 of 173	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.5	77 of 147	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	271 of 629	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.6	233 of 610	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.4	288 of 602	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.9	256 of 588	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	219 of 594	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	176 of 475	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.6	183 of 475	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	105 of 449	76.6%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	90 of 412	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	61.7	184 of 403	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	172 of 403	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.2	52 of 398	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	54.1	185 of 337	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.1	222 of 325	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.5	353 of 474	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	301 of 462	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	351 of 454	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	314 of 449	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.4	277 of 436	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.6	216 of 370	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	236 of 354	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	150 of 340	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.6	15 of 47	68.1%	★★★★☆
2025	20.6	37 of 39	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	42 of 47	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	61.0	13 of 45	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	50.3	12 of 34	64.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	342 of 620	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.9	295 of 606	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.2	377 of 613	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.2	337 of 597	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.2	252 of 544	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.6	218 of 432	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.1	215 of 446	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.7	124 of 424	70.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.0	271 of 624	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.4	200 of 601	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	292 of 607	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.8	260 of 602	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	201 of 585	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.9	145 of 481	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	53.5	179 of 488	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.6	103 of 463	77.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.5	49 of 265	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	72.3	55 of 253	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	66.8	73 of 261	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	57.4	93 of 249	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.8	59 of 226	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	84.3	19 of 199	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	88.6	15 of 195	92.3%	★★★★★
2018	77.7	34 of 185	81.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.9	67 of 372	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	83.5	22 of 352	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	71.9	47 of 349	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.3	135 of 551	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	112 of 542	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	73.2	155 of 553	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.0	136 of 537	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.3	94 of 534	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	72.3	72 of 439	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	65.5	107 of 444	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	59 of 427	86.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)82nd percentile+24 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)82nd percentile+24 vs school

Disabled (2022)81st percentile+17 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)78th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile+18 vs school

Homeless (2026)68th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile~ school

Female (2026)57th percentile~ school

Male (2026)57th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)51st percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)26th percentile-32 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)23rd percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III81%+12 vs state

English II71%+6 vs state

Biology63%+5 vs state

Math I34%-9 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 1 written review

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 24, 2019

The class sizes are huge. Teachers are doing their best, but the budget cuts have effected the quality of education. Certain classes have been cut which makes it difficult for placement of students in the appropriate classes. Lower the teacher: student ratio!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Cary High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cary High	Public	9-12	638 Walnut St	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3549	2,044	117	17.4	38.6%	879 (43.0%)	352 (17.2%)	597 (29.2%)	114 (5.6%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (4.6%)	56.2	279^th of 662 public high schools	57.9%		62.1	218^th of 641 public high schools	66.0%	61	63.3	71.0	33.5	81.0								$8,602	$403	$8,198
Wake STEM Early College High School	Public	9-12	2205 Walnut Street	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8130	294	15	20.2	35.7%	98 (33.3%)	40 (13.6%)	84 (28.6%)	60 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	93.1	31^st of 662 public high schools	95.3%		96.4	6^th of 641 public high schools	99.1%	25	362.2	564.9	95.0	100.0								$10,774	$232	$10,542
Crossroads FLEX	Public, Virtual	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 694-8515	139	6	23.4	5.8%	95 (68.3%)	9 (6.5%)	13 (9.4%)	13 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.5%)	76.3	156^th of 662 public high schools	76.4%		92.5	56^th of 641 public high schools	91.3%	100	70.0	94.1	66.7	80.0								$9,819	$232	$9,587
SCORE Academy	Public	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8560	584	32	18.3	99.5%	164 (28.1%)	210 (36.0%)	174 (29.8%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.9%)	2	650^th of 662 public high schools	1.8%		2.7	633^rd of 641 public high schools	1.2%	17	10.0	19.6	537.5	540.3								$16,937	$337	$16,599
Athens Drive High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1420 Athens Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 233-4050	2,156	125	17.1	44.0%	913 (42.3%)	543 (25.2%)	474 (22.0%)	152 (7.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (3.3%)	50	329^th of 662 public high schools	50.3%		49.7	303^rd of 641 public high schools	52.7%	26	65.2	66.5	21.8	73.5								$9,473	$614	$8,859
Apex High	Public	9-12	1501 Laura Duncan Road	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2208	2,449	123	19.9	22.5%	1,422 (58.1%)	230 (9.4%)	378 (15.4%)	311 (12.7%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	98 (4.0%)	69.4	190^th of 662 public high schools	71.3%		69.9	175^th of 641 public high schools	72.7%	15	76.4	85.9	38.8	76.7								$8,281	$390	$7,891
Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy	Public	6-12	301 Ashe Avenue	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 508-9088	337	21	15.9	34.4%	118 (35.0%)	111 (32.9%)	59 (17.5%)	25 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.1%)	90.2	74^th of 662 public high schools	88.8%		86.7	99^th of 641 public high schools	84.6%	25	87.8	92.7		100.0	92.5	87.5	98.0	94.3	89.3	100.0	98.0	$11,659	$232	$11,427
Green Hope High	Public	9-12	2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 380-3700	2,304	112	20.5	12.5%	1,036 (45.0%)	149 (6.5%)	179 (7.8%)	852 (37.0%)	6 (0.3%)	5 (0.2%)	77 (3.3%)	83	124^th of 662 public high schools	81.3%		87.6	93^rd of 641 public high schools	85.5%	31	86.0	87.4	60.0	89.3								$7,421	$399	$7,021
Needham Broughton High	Public, Magnet	9-12	723 Saint Marys St	Raleigh	27605	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7810	2,153	118	18.2	28.1%	1,259 (58.5%)	423 (19.6%)	342 (15.9%)	52 (2.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	74 (3.4%)	69	193^rd of 662 public high schools	70.8%		68	185^th of 641 public high schools	71.1%	8	74.6	83.6	26.3	84.8								$9,028	$494	$8,535
Raleigh Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1307 Glenwood Avenue	Raleigh	27605	Wake County	Raleigh Charter High School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 715-1155	552	43	12.8		214 (38.8%)	42 (7.6%)	36 (6.5%)	224 (40.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (6.2%)	90.5	70^th of 662 public high schools	89.4%		93.3	46^th of 641 public high schools	92.8%	24	92.6	95.6	65.4	97.2

Frequently Asked Questions about Cary High

What schools feed into Cary High?

Cary High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Briarcliff Elementary
Elementary : Cary Elementary
Elementary : Northwoods Elementary
Middle : Reedy Creek Middle
Middle : West Cary Middle

Is Cary High a good school?

Cary High ranks 279^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Cary High?

Students at Cary High are 43% White, 29% Hispanic, 17% African American, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Cary High in?

Wake County Schools

How many students attend Cary High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,044 students attended Cary High.

Rate Cary High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.